Tattoo, piercing parlour inspection reports to be available online

Elizabeth Payne, OTTAWA CITIZEN02.11.2014

Reports on tattoo parlours — similar to inspection reports currently posted for restaurants — should be online beginning in June. Here, staff at Living Colour Tattoo on Dalhousie Street wait for customers.

OTTAWA — Ottawa Public Health will soon begin posting health inspection reports from tattoo parlours and other “personal service settings” online in an attempt to take some of the risk out of potentially high-risk practices.

A public health spokesperson said the reports — similar to inspection reports currently posted for restaurants — should be online beginning in June.

The city’s health department is also looking at licensing tattoo parlours, piercing salons, barbers, hairdressers and other businesses that provide personal services as part of a push to improve infection control and enhance public safety.

There are an estimated 1,100 across the city, and about 260 are considered high-risk. Health officials are increasing inspections of those deemed high-risk — including places that offer invasive procedures such as tongue splitting, branding, tattooing and piercing, where there is the risk of infection from blood-borne diseases.

The city’s health department is also planning to undertake a series of training programs for operators to help them perform their services safely.

Until recently, it has largely been a case of buyer beware for consumers when it came to tattoo parlours and other more extreme invasive services such as tongue splitting and branding. Premises were inspected when there was a complaint and sometimes more frequently, but health officials weren’t always aware when new establishments opened or changed services. It made it difficult for consumers to judge an operator.

With online inspection reports, consumers will have a better idea of premises with good track records of hygiene and safety and those with spottier records. Public health is also conducting a public education campaign to promote better knowledge and safety among consumers using the services. Health officials have the power to close businesses deemed serious health risks.

Siobhan Kearns, environment and health protection act manager, said Ottawa Public Health has been responding to the increasing popularity of high risk personal service settings and the province’s push for more inspections with a strategy to help decrease risks and improve the safety of those using them.

“Over the past several years there has been an increase in the variety of services offered, which include more invasive body modification procedures such as tongue splitting and branding,” public health officials wrote in a report tabled last fall. “These procedures are associated with risk of blood-borne infection, including Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) as well as skin infections.”

“The growing popularity and variety of personal services being offered has led to health concerns and increased public interest in PSS (personal service settings). Of particular concern is the inherent risk of transmission of blood borne infection to both personal service clients and operators.”

In recent months, Kearns said, Ottawa Public Health has surveyed operators, most of whom said they were in favour of some form of licensing.

It is something many Ontario cities already do. Kearns said about half of the municipal health departments her department contacted license personal service establishments such as tattoo parlours.

In 2012, the health department’s budget for inspections was increased by $200,000 to allow for better training of inspectors and more frequent inspections. As a result, all of the city’s high risk personal service settings have been inspected at least once. In 2012, Ottawa Public Health inspected 208 high risk and 121 low risk establishments. Of those, 58 high risk and 20 low risk were found to have deficiencies and had to be reinspected to make sure problems had been dealt with.

Municipal health departments are waiting for guidance from the province about identification and inspection protocols for high-risk businesses. Ottawa health officials say it remains difficult to fine businesses where problems exist and inspectors usually rely on voluntary compliance.

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